Printed lithium foil and film

ABSTRACT

A substrate coated with a printable lithium composition is provided. The printable lithium composition includes lithium metal powder; a polymer binder, wherein the polymer binder is compatible with the lithium powder; and a rheology modifier compatible with the lithium powder and the polymer binder, wherein the rheology modifier is dispersible within the composition and provides a three-dimensional support structure for further improvement of the electrochemical performance of the electrode when coated with the composition. The substrate may be incorporated into a battery. In one embodiment, the battery comprises a cathode, an electrolyte and an anode, wherein the cathode, the electrolyte, the separator, the anode, or a combination thereof may each comprise a substrate coated with a printable lithium composition.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The following application claims priority to U.S. Provisional No. 62/874,269 filed Jul. 15, 2019, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/864,739 filed Jun. 21, 2019 and International Application Nos. PCT/US19/23376, PCT/US19/23383, and PCT/US19/23390 filed Mar. 21, 2019, which claim priority to U.S. application Ser. Nos. 16/359,707, 16/359,725, and 16/359,733 filed Mar. 20, 2019, which claim priority to Provisional No. 62/646,521 filed Mar. 22, 2018, and U.S. Provisional No. 62/691,819 filed Jun. 29, 2018, each of the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a substrate coated with a printable lithium composition suitable for use in a wide variety of energy storage devices, including batteries and capacitors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Lithium and lithium-ion secondary or rechargeable batteries have found use in certain applications such as in cellular phones, camcorders, and laptop computers, and even more recently, in larger power application such as in electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles. It is preferred in these applications that the secondary batteries have the highest specific capacity possible but still provide safe operating conditions and good cyclability so that the high specific capacity is maintained in subsequent recharging and discharging cycles.

Although there are various constructions for secondary batteries, each construction includes a positive electrode (or cathode), a negative electrode (or anode), a separator that separates the cathode and anode, an electrolyte in electrochemical communication with the cathode and anode. For secondary lithium batteries, lithium ions are transferred from the anode to the cathode through the electrolyte when the secondary battery is being discharged, i.e., used for its specific application. During the discharge process, electrons are collected from the anode and pass to the cathode through an external circuit. When the secondary battery is being charged, or recharged, the lithium ions are transferred from the cathode to the anode through the electrolyte.

Historically, secondary lithium batteries were produced using non-lithiated compounds having high specific capacities such as TiS₂, MoS₂, MnO₂, and V₂O₅, as the cathode active materials. These cathode active materials were coupled with a lithium metal anode. When the secondary battery was discharged, lithium ions were transferred from the lithium metal anode to the cathode through the electrolyte. Unfortunately, upon cycling, the lithium metal developed dendrites that ultimately caused unsafe conditions in the battery. As a result, the production of these types of secondary batteries was stopped in the early 1990s in favor of lithium-ion batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries typically use lithium metal oxides such as LiCoO₂ and LiNiO₂ as cathode active materials coupled with an active anode material such as a carbon-based material. It is recognized that there are other anode types based on silicon oxide, silicon particles and the like. In batteries utilizing carbon-based anode systems, the lithium dendrite formation on the anode is substantially avoided, thereby making the battery safer. However, the electrochemically active lithium, the amount of which determines the battery capacity, is totally supplied from the cathode. This limits the choice of cathode active materials because the active materials must contain removable/cycleable lithium. Also, delithiated products corresponding to Li_(x)CoO₂, Li_(x)NiO₂ formed during charging and overcharging are not stable. In particular, these delithiated products tend to react with the electrolyte and generate heat, which raises safety concerns.

Lithium-ion cells or batteries are initially in a discharged state. During the first charge of lithium-ion cell, lithium moves from the cathode material to the anode active material. The lithium moving from the cathode to the anode reacts with an electrolyte material at the surface of the graphite anode, causing the formation of a passivation film on the anode. The passivation film formed on the graphite anode is a solid electrolyte interface (SEI). Upon subsequent discharge, the lithium consumed by the formation of the SEI is not returned to the cathode. This results in a lithium-ion cell having a smaller capacity compared to the initial charge capacity because some of the lithium has been consumed by the formation of the SEI. The partial consumption of the available lithium on the first cycle reduces the capacity of the lithium-ion cell. This phenomenon is called irreversible capacity and is known to consume about 10% to more than 20% of the capacity of a lithium ion cell. Thus, after the initial charge of a lithium-ion cell, the lithium-ion cell loses about 10% to more than 20% of its capacity.

One solution has been to use stabilized lithium metal powder to pre-lithiate the anode. For example, lithium powder can be stabilized by passivating the metal powder surface with carbon dioxide such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,567,474, 5,776,369, and 5,976,403, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entireties by reference. The CO₂ passivated lithium metal powder can be used only in air with low moisture levels for a limited period of time before the lithium metal content decays because of the reaction of the lithium metal and air. Another solution is to apply a coating such as fluorine, wax, phosphorus or a polymer to the lithium metal powder such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,588,623, 8,021,496, 8,377,236 and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017/0149052, for example.

There, however, remains a need for thinner lithium foils and films to apply onto various substrates for lithium-ion cells and other lithium metal batteries, and more particularly, thin lithium foils and composite films with improved electrochemical performances.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To this end, the present invention provides a foil or film formed from a printable lithium composition that may be used to coat substrates, and particularly for the formation or fabrication of substrates for anodes. Foils and films formed from the printable lithium composition may have a laminated thickness between about 1 micron and about 50 microns. An anode comprising a substrate coated with the printable lithium composition will have increased efficiency and increased longevity. A battery incorporating a substrate with the printable lithium composition may have further increased performance with a high concentration electrolyte, dual-salt electrolyte and/or other additives as well as solid-state electrolytes.

The printable lithium composition of the present invention comprises a lithium metal powder and a polymer binder, wherein the polymer binder is compatible with the lithium powder, The printable lithium composition may also include a rheology modifier compatible with the lithium powder and the polymer binder that is dispersed within the composition and provides a three-dimensional structure for an anode produced when coated with the composition. This three-dimensional structure further reduces the risk of dendrite growth during cycling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a temperature and pressure profile for the reactivity testing of SLMP/styrene butadiene/toluene printable lithium composition;

FIG. 2A is a photographic image of a foil coated with a printable lithium composition.

FIG. 2B is a microscope image at 200× magnification of a printed lithium foil before lamination.

FIG. 2C is a microscope image at 200× magnification of a printed lithium foil after lamination.

FIG. 3 is a SEM picture and EDS spectrum of the printed lithium foil having a laminated thickness of about 20 microns.

FIG. 4 a plot comparing discharge capacities for a printable lithium foil (20 microns) with commercial foil (50 microns), wherein cycling was conducted at 0.2C charge and 10 discharge at 30° C. between 3V and 4.3V.

FIG. 5 is a Nyquist plot comparing alternating current (AC) impedance spectra of a printable lithium foil (20 microns) with commercial foil (50 microns) after 100 cycles.

FIG. 6A is a photographic image of two substrates with a commercial lithium foil after 100 cycles.

FIG. 6B is microscope image at 200× magnification of the commercial lithium foil after 100 cycles.

FIG. 6C is a photographic image of two substrates with printable lithium foil after 100 cycles.

FIG. 6D is a microscope image at 200× magnification of the printable lithium foil after 100 cycles.

FIG. 7 is a microscope image at 200× magnification comparing the thickness of substrates with a commercial lithium foil versus a printable lithium foil after 100 cycles.

FIG. 8 is a plot comparing discharge capacities for a printable lithium foil with and without carbon nanotubes added as a rheology modifier.

FIG. 9 is a plot showing the lithium plating and stripping properties for a pouch cell with a substrate coated with printable lithium formulation to form lithium foil versus a commercial lithium foil.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The foregoing and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in more detail with respect to the description and methodologies provided herein. It should be appreciated that the invention can be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used in the description of the embodiments of the invention and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Also, as used herein, “and/or” refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The term “about,” as used herein when referring to a measurable value such as an amount of a compound, dose, time, temperature, and the like, is meant to encompass variations of 20%, 10%, 5%, 1%, 0.5%, or even 0.1% of the specified amount. Unless otherwise defined, all terms, including technical and scientific terms used in the description, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.

As used herein, the terms “comprise,” “comprises,” “comprising,” “include,” “includes” and “including” specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

As used herein, the term “consists essentially of” (and grammatical variants thereof), as applied to the compositions and methods of the present invention, means that the compositions/methods may contain additional components so long as the additional components do not materially alter the composition/method. The term “materially alter,” as applied to a composition/method, refers to an increase or decrease in the effectiveness of the composition/method of at least about 20% or more.

All patents, patent applications and publications referred to herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In case of a conflict in terminology, the present specification is controlling.

In accordance with the present invention, a printable lithium composition for formation of a foil or film is provided. The printable lithium composition comprises lithium metal powder, a polymer binder compatible with the lithium metal powder, and a rheology modifier compatible with the lithium metal powder and the polymer binder, wherein the rheology modifier is dispersible and may provide a three-dimensional structure to enhance electrochemical performance of a coated electrode. For example, the foil may include a printable lithium composition with lithium as a main component. Alternatively, the film may be a composite, including active cathode, anode or electrolyte materials in the printable lithium composition. The foil and films may be incorporated into wide variety of energy storage devices, such as primary batteries, secondary batteries, capacitors, solid-state batteries and hybrid battery/capacitors. Thin foils and films may also be incorporated into micro batteries.

In one embodiment, the rheology modifier is carbon-based. For example, the rheology modifier may be comprised of carbon nanotubes to provide a structure for a coated electrode. In another embodiment, carbon black may be added as a rheology modifier. Without wishing to be limited by theory, it is believed that the carbon-based rheology modifier may also provide a conductive network between lithium particles after lamination, effectively increasing areal surface area and lowering areal current density during device operation and giving lithium ions a pathway to deposit in the bulk rather than just on the surface of the foil as occurs with regular lithium foil. Other examples of suitable rheology modifiers may include non-carbon-based materials, including titanium oxides and silicon oxides. For example, silicon nanostructures such as nanotubes or nanoparticles may be added as a rheology modifier to provide a three-dimensional structure and/or added capacity. The rheology modifiers may also increase the durability of the layer (i.e., coating, foil or film) formed from the printable lithium composition by preventing mechanical degradation and allowing for higher charges and faster charging.

In one embodiment, the printable lithium composition may be applied onto a substrate, such as an energy storage device substrate. Examples may include a current collector, an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte and a separator. Examples of electrolytes may include a solid electrolyte, a polymer electrolyte, a glass electrolyte, and a ceramic electrolyte. In one example, the printable lithium composition may be applied or deposited to prelithiate an anode or cathode. The prelithiated anode or cathode may be incorporated into an energy storage device such as a capacitor or battery. In another example, the substrate may be a lithium anode. For example, the lithium anode may be a flat lithium metal anode, or may be a lithium-carbon anode such as an amine functionalized lithium-carbon film as described in Niu et al. [Nature Nanotechnology, Vol. 14, pgs. 594-201 (2019); DOI: 10.1038/s41565-019-0427-9] and herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The battery may be comprised of liquid electrolytes. In another embodiment, the battery may be comprised of solid and semi-solid electrolytes to form a solid-state battery. In another embodiment, the printable lithium composition may be used, applied or deposited to form a monolithic lithium metal anode for use in a solid-state battery.

In yet another embodiment, the printable lithium composition may be applied or deposited so as to form a solid electrolyte for a solid-state battery, and includes combining the printable lithium composition with a polymer, glass or ceramic material to form a solid electrolyte or a composite solid electrolyte. For example, the printable lithium composition and polymer material may be extruded together to create a solid electrolyte film, and optionally may include other active electrolyte materials.

In another embodiment, the substrate may comprise an electrode coated with a printable lithium composition, and further include a protective layer between the lithium layer and an electrolyte; for example, the protective layer described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,061 herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. The protective layer may be a glassy or amorphous material capable of conducting lithium ions and is adapted to prevent contact between the lithium surface and an electrolyte. Examples of suitable protective layers include lithium silicates, lithium borates, lithium aluminates, lithium phosphates, lithium phosphorous oxynitrides, lithium silicosulfides, lithium borosulfides, lithium aminosulfides and lithium phosphosulfides. The protective layer may be applied onto an electrode surface by a physical or chemical deposition process. The printable lithium composition may be applied onto the protective layer as a coating, foil or film. In one embodiment, the protective layer may be separating a lithium layer and electrolyte wherein the electrolyte may be comprised of a substrate coated with the printable lithium composition. The formulation may employ use of a semi-solid conductive polymer matrix, such as described by Li et al. [Joule, Vol. 3, No. 7, pgs. 1637-1646 (2019), DOI: 10.1016/j.joule.2019.05.022] and herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, in order to increase contact of lithium metal with the solid-state electrolyte and maintain contact during charge/discharge cycling.

One embodiment may comprise a battery with a three-dimensional (3D) lithium metal anode; for example, as disclosed by Liu et al. [Energy Storage Materials, Vol. 16, pgs. 505-511 (2019), DOI: 10.1016/j.ensm.2018.09.021] and herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, wherein a cathode, electrolyte, 3D lithium metal anode, or a combination thereof may each comprise a substrate coated with a printable lithium composition.

Another embodiment may comprise a battery having a cathode, electrolyte and a lithium anode modified with ZnI₂ such as disclosed by Kolensikov et al. [Journal of the Electrochemical Society, vol. 166, no. 8, pages A1400-A1407 (2019), DOI: 10.1149/2.0401908jes] and herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. The lithium anode may be prepared by applying the printable lithium composition onto a copper foil and modified by placing the foil in contact with a ZnI₂ in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution.

In another embodiment, the substrate may comprise a silicon-nanotube anode such as described by Forney et al. [Nanoletters, Vol. 13, no. 9, pages 4158-4163 (2013), DOI: 10.1021/n140176d] and herein incorporated by reference. For example, the silicon-nanotube anode thereof may further include a lithium layer, such as a coating, foil or film, formed from the printable lithium composition.

The lithium metal powder of the printable lithium composition may be in the form of a finely divided powder. The lithium metal powder typically has a mean particle size of less than about 80 microns, often less than about 40 microns and sometimes less than about 10 microns (e.g., about 5 microns). The lithium metal powder may be a low pyrophoricity stabilized lithium metal power (SLMP®) available from FMC Lithium Corp. The lithium metal powder may also include a substantially continuous layer or coating of fluorine, wax, phosphorus or a polymer or the combination thereof (as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,567,474, 5,776,369, and 5,976,403). Lithium metal powder has a significantly reduced reaction with moisture and air.

The lithium metal powder may also be alloyed with a metal. For example, the lithium metal powder may be alloyed with a Group I-VIII element. Suitable elements from Group IB may include, for example, silver, or gold. Suitable elements from Group IIB may include, for example, zinc, cadmium, or mercury. Suitable elements from Group IIA of the Periodic Table may include beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium. Elements from Group IIIA that may be used in the present invention may include, for example, boron, aluminum, gallium, indium, or thallium. Elements from Group IVA that may be used in the present invention may include, for example, carbon, silicon, germanium, tin, or lead. Elements from Group VA that may be used in the present invention may include, for example, nitrogen, phosphorus, or bismuth. Suitable elements from Group VIIIB may include, for example, palladium, or platinum.

The polymer binder is selected so as to be compatible with the lithium metal powder. “Compatible with” or “compatibility” is intended to convey that the polymer binder does not violently react with the lithium metal powder resulting in a safety hazard. The lithium metal powder and the polymer binder may react to form a lithium-polymer complex, however, such complex should be stable at various temperatures. It is recognized that the amount (concentration) of lithium and polymer binder contribute to the stability and reactivity. The polymer binder may have a molecular weight of about 1,000 to about 8,000,000, and often has a molecular weight of 2,000,000 to 5,000,000. Suitable polymer binders may include one or more of poly(ethylene oxide), polystyrene, polyisobutylene, natural rubbers, butadiene rubbers, styrene-butadiene rubber, polyisoprene rubbers, butyl rubbers, hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubbers, epichlorohydrin rubbers, acrylate rubbers, silicon rubbers, nitrile rubbers, polyacrylic acid, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl acetate, ethylene propylene diene termonomer, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene-propylene copolymers, ethylene-propylene terpolymers, polybutenes. The binder may also be a wax.

The rheology modifier is selected so as to be compatible with the lithium metal powder and the polymer binder and dispersible in the composition. A preferred embodiment of the printable lithium composition includes a carbon-based rheology modifier such as carbon nanotubes. Use of carbon nanotubes may also provide a three-dimensional support structure and conductive network for a lithium anode when coated with the printable lithium composition and increase its surface area. Another support structure may be one as described by Cui et al. [Science Advances, Vol. 4, no. 7, page 5168, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aat5168], incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, which uses a hollow carbon sphere as a stable host that prevents parasitic reactions, resulting in improved cycling behavior. Yet another support structure may be a nanowire as described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,090,512 incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Other compatible carbon-based rheology modifiers include carbon black, graphene, graphite, hard carbon and mixtures or blends thereof.

Additional rheology modifiers may be added to the composition to modify properties such as viscosity and flow under shear conditions. The rheology modifier may also provide conductivity, improved capacity and/or improved stability/safety depending on the selection of the rheology modifier. To this end, the rheology modifier may be the combination of two or more compounds so as to provide different properties or to provide additive properties. Exemplary rheology modifiers may include one or more of silicon nanotubes, fumed silica, titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide and other Group IIA, IIIA, IVB, VB and VIA elements/compounds and mixtures or blends thereof. Other additives intended to increase lithium ion conductivity can be used; for example, electrochemical device electrolyte salts such as lithium perchlorate (LiClO₄), lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF₆), lithium difluoro(oxalate)borate (LiDFOB), lithium tetrafluoroborate (LiBF₄), lithium nitrate (LiNO₃), lithium bis(oxalate) borate (LiBOB), lithium trifluoromethanesulfonimide (LiTFSI), lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl) imide (LiFSI).

In another embodiment, a mixture of the polymer binder, rheology modifier, coating reagents, and other potential additives for the lithium metal powder may be formed and introduced to contact the lithium droplets during dispersion at a temperature above the lithium melting point, or at a lower temperature after the lithium dispersion has cooled such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,588,623 the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. The thusly modified lithium metal may be introduced in a dry powder form or in a solution form in a solvent of choice. It is understood that combinations of different process parameters could be used to achieve specific coating and lithium powder characteristics for particular applications.

Solvents compatible with lithium may include acyclic hydrocarbons, cyclic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, symmetrical ethers, unsymmetrical ethers, cyclic ethers, alkanes, sulfones, mineral oil, and mixtures, blends or cosolvents thereof. Examples of suitable acyclic and cyclic hydrocarbons include n-hexane, n-heptane, cyclohexane, and the like. Examples of suitable aromatic hydrocarbons include toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, isopropylbenzene (cumene), and the like. Examples of suitable symmetrical, unsymmetrical and cyclic ethers include di-n-butyl ether, methyl t-butyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, glymes and the like. Commercially available isoparaffinic synthetic hydrocarbon solvents with tailored boiling point ranges such as Shell Sol® (Shell Chemicals) or Isopar® (Exxon) are also suitable.

The polymer binder and solvents are selected to be compatible with each other and with the lithium metal powder. In general, the binder or solvent should be non-reactive with the lithium metal powder or in amounts so that any reaction is kept to a minimum and violent reactions are avoided. The binder and solvent should be compatible with each other at the temperatures at which the printable lithium composition is made and will be used. Preferably the solvent (or co-solvent) will have sufficient volatility to readily evaporate from the printable lithium composition (e.g., in slurry form) to provide drying of the printable lithium composition (slurry) after application.

The components of the printable lithium composition may be mixed together as a slurry or paste to have a high concentration of solid. Thus the slurry/paste may be in the form of a concentrate with not all of the solvent necessarily added prior to the time of depositing or applying. In one embodiment, the lithium metal powder should be uniformly suspended in the solvent so that when applied or deposited a substantially uniform distribution of lithium metal powder is deposited or applied. Dry lithium powder may be dispersed such as by agitating or stirring vigorously to apply high sheer forces.

Conventional pre-lithiation surface treatments require compositions having very low binder content and very high lithium; for example, see U.S. Pat. No. 9,649,688 the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. However, embodiments of the printable lithium composition in accordance with the present invention can accommodate higher binder ratios, including up to 20 percent on dry basis, as an advantage of using a printable lithium composition. Conventional lithium compositions could not accommodate higher binder ratios as the resulting composition blocked up pores of an applicator and created resistance when applying the composition. For example as detailed hereinbelow, when the printable lithium composition is printed as a series of lines such as described in U.S. application Ser. No. 16/359,725 and herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, the electrolyte can still penetrate the electrode. Various properties of the printable lithium composition, such as viscosity and flow, may be modified by increasing the binder and modifier content up to 50% dry basis without loss of electrochemical activity of lithium. The binder content facilitates the loading of the printable lithium composition and the flow during printing. The printable lithium composition may comprise between about 50% to about 98% by weight of lithium metal powder and about 2% to about 50% by weight of polymer binder and rheology modifiers on a dry weight basis. In one embodiment, the printable lithium composition comprises between about 60% to about 90% by weight lithium metal powder and between about 10% to about 40% by weight of polymer binder and rheology modifiers. In another embodiment the printable lithium composition comprises between about 75% to about 85% by weight of lithium metal powder and between about 15% to about 30% by weight of polymer binder and rheology modifiers.

An important aspect of printable lithium compositions is the rheological stability of the suspension. Because lithium metal has a low density of 0.534 g/cc, it is difficult to prevent lithium powder from separating from solvent suspensions. By selection of lithium metal powder loading, polymer binder and conventional modifier types and amounts, viscosity and rheology may be tailored to create the stable suspension of the invention. A preferred embodiment shows no separation at greater than 90 days. This may be achieved by designing compositions with a zero shear viscosity in the range of 1×10⁴ cps to 1×10⁷ cps, wherein such zero shear viscosity maintains the lithium in suspension particularly when in storage. When shear is applied, the suspension viscosity decreases to levels suitable for use in printing or coating applications.

The resulting printable lithium composition preferably may have a viscosity at 10 s⁻¹ shear of about 20 to about 20,000 cps, and sometimes a viscosity of about 100 to about 2,000 cps, and often a viscosity of about 700 to about 1,100 cps. At such viscosity, the printable lithium composition is a flowable suspension or paste. The printable lithium composition preferably has an extended shelf life at room temperature and is stable against metallic lithium loss at temperatures up to 60° C., often up to 120° C., and sometimes up to 180° C. The printable lithium composition may separate somewhat over time but can be placed back into suspension by mild agitation and/or application of heat.

In one embodiment, the printable lithium composition comprises on a solution basis about 5 to 50 percent lithium metal powder, about 0.1 to 20 percent polymer binder, about 0.1 to 30 percent rheology modifier and about 50 to 95 percent solvent. In one embodiment, the printable lithium composition comprises on a solution basis about 15 to 25 percent lithium metal powder, about 0.3 to 0.6 percent polymer binder having a molecular weight of 4,700,000, about 0.5 to 0.9 percent rheology modifier, and about 75 to 85 percent solvent. Typically, the printable lithium composition is applied or deposited to a thickness of about 10 microns to 200 microns prior to pressing. After pressing, the laminated thickness can be reduced to between about 1 to 50 microns. Examples of pressing techniques are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,721,113 and 6,232,014 which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

In one embodiment, the printable lithium composition is deposited or applied to an active anode material on a current collector namely to form a prelithiated anode. Suitable active anode materials include graphite and other carbon-based materials, alloys such as tin/cobalt, tin/cobalt/carbon, silicon-carbon, variety of silicone/tin based composite compounds, germanium-based composites, titanium-based composites, elemental silicon, and germanium. The anode materials may be a foil, mesh or foam. Application may be via spraying, extruding, coating, printing, painting, dipping, and spraying, and are described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/359,725 incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Embodiments with high silicon anodes having a monolithic layer, such as a foil or film, formed from the printable lithium composition may have a laminated thickness lower than 10 microns. Conversely, striping high silicon anodes with the printable lithium composition may require a laminated thickness higher than 10 microns.

Anodes prelithiated using the printable lithium composition may be incorporated into various types of batteries. For example, the prelithiated anodes may be incorporated into batteries as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,851,083, 8,088,509, 8,133,612, 8,276,695, and 9,941,505, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Printing the printable lithium composition on an anode material may be an alternative to smearing lithium as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,906,233 incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In one embodiment, the active anode material and the printable lithium composition are provided together and extruded onto the current collector. Exemplary current collectors include foils bare or conductive carbon coated—copper and nickel, copper and nickel foam or mesh, titanium foil, foam or mesh, stainless steel foil or mesh, and conductive polymer films. For instance, the active anode material and printable lithium composition may be mixed and co-extruded together. Examples of active anode materials include graphite, graphite-SiO, graphite-tin oxides, -silicon oxides, hard carbon and other lithium ion battery and lithium ion capacitor anode materials. In another embodiment, the active anode material and the printable lithium composition are co-extruded to form a layer of the printable composite lithium composition on the current collector. In another embodiment, the active anode material and the printable lithium composition are co-extruded to form a layer directly onto the solid electrolyte of a solid-state battery.

In one embodiment, the printable lithium composition may be applied to a substrate or a preformed anode by coating the substrate with a roller. One example is a gravure coating device, such as one described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,635 herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. In this example, a pair of spaced rollers support the substrate as it advances toward a gravure roller. A nozzle or bath is utilized to apply the coating material to the gravure roller while a doctor blade is utilized to remove excess coating from the gravure roller. The gravure roller contacts the substrate as it travels through the gravure roller to apply the printable lithium composition. The gravure roller can be designed to print various patterns on the surface of the substrate; for example, lines or dots.

In another embodiment, the printable lithium composition may be applied to a substrate by extruding the printable lithium composition onto the substrate from an extruder. One example of an extruder is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,600 herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. In such an embodiment, high pressure forces the printable lithium composition through an extrusion nozzle to coat the exposed surface area of the substrate.

In another embodiment, the printable lithium composition may be applied to a substrate by printing the printable lithium composition onto the substrate. Slot die print heads may be used to print monolithic, stripe or other patterns of the printable lithium composition onto the substrate. One example of a compatible printer utilizing a slot die print head is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,518 herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

In another embodiment, a conventional carbon anode may be prelithiated by depositing the printable lithium composition on the carbon anode. This will obviate the problem associated with carbon anodes in which upon initial charging of the cell when lithium is intercalated into the carbon some irreversibility occurs due to some lithium and cell electrolyte being consumed resulting in an initial capacity loss.

In one embodiment, the printable lithium composition may be used to pre-lithiate an anode as described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,837,659 herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. For example, the method includes disposing a layer, such as a coating or film, of printable lithium composition adjacent to a surface of a pre-fabricated/pre-formed anode. The pre-fabricated electrode comprises an electroactive material. In certain variations, the printable lithium composition may be applied to the carrier/substrate via a deposition process. A carrier substrate on which the layer of printable lithium composition may be disposed may be selected from the group consisting of: polymer films (e.g., polystyrene, polyethylene, polyethyleneoxide, polyester, polypropylene, polypolytetrafluoroethylene), ceramic films, copper foil, nickel foil, or metal foams and other 2D and 3D structures by way of non-limiting example. Heat may then be applied to the printable lithium composition layer on the substrate or the pre-fabricated anode. The printable lithium composition layer on the substrate or the pre-fabricated anode may be further compressed or laminated together, under applied pressure. The heating, and optional applied pressure, facilitates transfer of lithium onto the surface of the substrate or anode. In case of transfer to the pre-fabricated anode, pressure and heat can result in mechanical lithiation, especially where the pre-fabricated anode comprises graphite. In this manner, lithium transfers to the electrode and due to favorable thermodynamics is incorporated into the active material.

In one embodiment, the printable lithium composition may be incorporated within the anode as described in US Publication No. 2018/0269471 herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. For example, the anode can comprise an active anode composition and the printable lithium composition, and any electrically conductive powder if present. In additional or alternative embodiments, the printable lithium composition is placed along the surface of the electrode. For example, the anode can comprise an active layer with an active anode composition and a printable lithium composition layer on the surface of active layer. In an alternative configuration, the printable lithium composition may be added between the active layer and a current collector. Also, in some embodiments, the printable lithium composition may be added on both surfaces of the active layer.

In one embodiment, the printable lithium composition may be incorporated into a three-dimensional electrode structure as described in US Publication No. 2018/0013126 herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. For example, the printable lithium composition may be incorporated into a three-dimensional porous anode, porous current collector or porous polymer or ceramic film, wherein the printable lithium composition may be deposited therein.

In some embodiments, an electrode prelithiated with the printable lithium composition can be assembled into a cell. A separator can be placed between the respective electrodes. For example, an anode prelithiated with the printable lithium composition of the present invention may be formed into a second battery such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,706,447 herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. In another embodiment, the prelithiated electrodes may be printed onto a separator for a solid-state battery as described in U.S. application Ser. No. 16/359,733 and (Attorney Matter No. 073396.1264, filed concurrently with this application) herein incorporated by reference in their entireties.

The cathode is formed of an active material, which is typically combined with a carbonaceous material and a binder polymer. The active material used in the cathode is preferably a material that can be lithiated. Preferably, non-lithiated materials such as MnO₂, V₂O₅, MoS₂, metal fluorides or mixtures thereof, Sulphur and sulfur composites can be used as the active material. However, lithiated materials such as LiMn₂O₄ and LiMO₂ wherein M is Ni, Co or Mn that can be further lithiated can also be used. The non-lithiated active materials are preferred because they generally have higher specific capacities, lower cost and broader choice of cathode materials in this construction that can provide increased energy and power over conventional secondary batteries that include lithiated active materials.

In one embodiment, the printable lithium composition may be used to prelithiate a capacitor, such as an anode in a lithium-ion capacitor as described in US Publication No. 2017/0301485 herein incorporated by reference. For example, the anode can be constructed using hard carbon, soft carbon or graphite. The anode may then be attached to a current collector before or during having a printable lithium composition layer coated on the top surface of the anode. The printable lithium composition may also be used to prelithiate an energy storage device such as a lithium-ion capacitor as described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,711,297 herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

In one embodiment, the printable lithium composition may be used to prelithiate a hybrid battery/capacitor as described in US Publication No. 2018/0241079 herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. The term “hybrid electrode” refers to an electrode that includes both battery electrode materials and capacitor electrode materials. In one embodiment, the hybrid cathode may comprise a blend of higher energy materials, such as battery cathode materials, and high power materials, such as capacitor cathode materials. For example, lithium-ion battery cathode materials may be combined with ultracapacitor or supercapacitor cathode materials. To complete the hybrid lithium-ion cell assembly, the hybrid cathode may be disposed against an anode electrode with a polyolefin separator in between the electrodes and is placed in a confined packaging, such as an energy storage device container, e.g. housing. The electrode stack is filled and contacted with a suitable electrolyte, such as a solvent containing a lithium-ion electrolyte salt and optionally including an electrolyte additive. The energy storage device package can be sealed.

The anode used in combination with the hybridized cathode can comprise elemental metal, such as elemental lithium. A method for prelithiation is direct addition of the printable lithium composition to the electrode formulation. For example, the printable lithium composition and electrode formulation may be mixed and extruded as described by Mcnally et al. [Journal of Plastic Film and Sheeting, Vol 21, No. 1, pages 55-68 (2005), DOI: 10.1177/8756087905052805] and herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. This printable lithium composition uniformly integrated into the electrode formulation can then be used to form an electrode film, in a dry process, which can then be laminated onto a current collector, such as a metal foil, to form the electrode, such as an anode. The printable lithium composition can be also applied to the current collector prior to the lamination with the dry electrode. In other embodiments, the printable lithium composition and electrode formulation mix may be applied to a current collector using other dry electrode application processes, including laser deposition, spray drying, hot rolling processes, examples of which are described in US Pub. No. 2017/0098818 and by Ludwig et al. [Scientific Reports, Vol. 6, no. 23150 (2016); DOI: 10.1038/srep23150], both of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. Embodiments herein can allow for a homogenous, and in some embodiments, dry, and/or particulate material, to be used as a raw material in the anode and hybridized cathode.

Some embodiments herein can avoid the need for two separate layers on each electrode (such as a “battery material” layer and a “capacitor material” layer), which can avoid the need to introduce manufacturing complexity and added production cost. In further embodiments, the pre-doped electrode is a hybrid cathode. It will be understood that the elemental metal and related concepts described herein with respect to an energy storage device with lithium may be implemented with other energy storage devices, and other metals.

In one embodiment, the printable lithium formulation can be deposited on a foil or mesh substrate. After lamination, a double-sided thin lithium foil substrate may result from a single step coating process.

In another embodiment, the printable lithium composition may be applied or deposited to prelithiate an anode or cathode of a solid-state battery as described in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Matter No. 073396.1274, filed concurrently with this application) herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. For example, the printable lithium composition may be used to form a monolithic lithium metal anode for use in a solid-state battery, including solid-state batteries as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,252,438 and 9,893,379 and incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

In another embodiment, the printable lithium composition may be used to form or in conjunction with a solid electrolyte for use in a solid-state battery. For instance, the printable lithium composition may be deposited on a variety of solid-state electrolytes as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,914,930 herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. One example of a solid-state secondary battery may include a positive electrode capable of electrochemically absorbing and desorbing lithium; a negative electrode capable of electrochemically absorbing and desorbing lithium, the negative electrode including an active material layer that comprises an active material, the active material layer being carried on a current collector; and a non-aqueous electrolyte. A method includes the steps of: reacting lithium with the active material of the negative electrode by bringing the printable lithium composition into contact with a surface of the active material layer of the negative electrode; and thereafter combining the negative electrode with the positive electrode to form an electrode assembly.

One advantage of the printable lithium approach is that when coated on to a solid electrolyte, intimate contact can be maintained between the lithium and the solid electrolyte. This approach will lessen the impedance growth caused by loss of contact between lithium and the electrolyte that occurs because of volume increase of the lithium during cycling. Applicants have demonstrated less volume expansion with the printable lithium foil in FIG. 7.

Certain embodiments of the printable lithium composition may include electrode active materials. Examples of electrode active materials that may be added to the printable lithium composition include graphite and other carbon-based materials, alloys such as tin/cobalt, tin/cobalt/carbon, silicon-carbon, variety of silicone/tin based composite compounds, germanium-based composites, sulfur based composites, titanium based composites, and elemental silicon, sulfur and germanium. The electrode active materials may be three-dimensional structural additives adapted to form a prelithiated electrode composition with the printable lithium composition. For instance, element S and S/C composite are used as cathode materials in Li/S batteries. Printable lithium composition may be added or printed on such electrode to prelithiate and to improve the stability. Prelithiated anodes may be formed from the electrode active materials to assemble a cell with a non-lithium providing cathode, such as from TiS₂, MoS₂, V₂O₅, MeF_(x) or MnO₂ cathode materials.

In yet another embodiment, a foil or film formed from the printable lithium composition may have a reduced thickness compared to commercial lithium foils and films, while at the same time, retaining or having an increased performance in comparison. In one embodiment, the laminated thickness of the printable lithium film or foil may be between about 1 micron and about 50 microns containing between about 50% and 98% lithium metal. For example, the laminated thickness of the printable lithium film or foil may be between about 10 microns and about 20 microns.

In one embodiment, the foil or film formed from the printable lithium composition may be applied to a substrate for use in a battery. For instance, the battery may include a cathode, an electrolyte and an anode with a substrate coated with the printable lithium composition. The electrolyte may be either a regular electrolyte or a high concentration electrolyte. The electrolyte may have a concentration of about or above 1 M, often equal to about 3 M or higher, and sometimes above 5 M. Examples of suitable electrolytes include lithium perchlorate (LiClO₄), lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF₆), lithium difluoro(oxalate)borate (LiDFOB), lithium tetrafluoroborate (LiBF₄), lithium nitrate (LiNO₃), lithium bis(oxalate) borate (LiBOB), lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl) imide (LiFSI) and lithium trifluoromethanesulfonimide (LiTFSI) and mixtures or blends thereof. One exemplary example is a battery having a cathode and an anode with a substrate coated with the printable lithium composition and a high concentration electrolyte, wherein LiFSI is the major salt of the high concentration electrolyte. Another example is a battery having a cathode and an anode with a substrate coated with the printable lithium composition and a dual-salt liquid electrolyte as described by Weber et al [Nature Energy, Vol. 4, pgs. 683-689 (2019), DOI: 10.1038/s41560-019-0428-9] and US Publication No. 2019/0036171, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. The dual-salt liquid electrolyte may be comprised of lithium difluoro(oxalate)borate (LiDFOB) and LiBF₄, and may have a concentration of about 1 M. Dual-salt electrolytes may provide increased initial capacity retentions and improved cycle performance.

The following examples are merely illustrative of the invention and are not limiting thereon.

EXAMPLES Example 1

10 g of solution styrene butadiene rubber (S-SBR Europrene Sol R 72613) is dissolved in 90 g toluene (99% anhydrous, Sigma Aldrich) by stirring at 21° C. for 12 hours. 6 g of the 10 wt % styrene butadiene rubber (polymer binder) in toluene (solvent) is combined with 0.1 g carbon black (Timcal Super P) (rheology modifier) and 16 g of toluene and dispersed in a Thinky ARE 250 planetary mixer for 6 minutes at 2000 rpm. 9.3 g of stabilized lithium metal powder (SLMP®, FMC Lithium Corp.) having polymer coating of 20 to 200 nm and d50 of 20 μm is added to this suspension and dispersed for 3 minutes at 1000 rpm in a Thinky mixer. The printable lithium suspension is then filtered through 180 μm opening stainless steel mesh. The printable lithium suspension is then doctor blade coated on to a copper current collector at a wet thickness of 2 mil (˜50 μm) and a dry thickness of about 25 μm before lamination. FIG. 4 is a plot showing the cycle performance for a pouch cell with printable lithium derived thin lithium film as the anode vs. commercial thin lithium foil.

Example 2

10 g of 135,000 molecular weight ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM) (Dow Nordel IP 4725P) is dissolved in 90 g p-xylene (99% anhydrous, Sigma Aldrich) by stirring at 21° C. for 12 hours. 6 g of the 10 wt % EPDM (polymer binder) in p-xylene (solvent) is combined with 0.1 g TiO2 (Evonik Industries) (rheology modifier) and 16 g of toluene and dispersed in a Thinky ARE 250 planetary mixer for 6 minutes at 2000 rpm. 9.3 g of stabilized lithium metal powder (SLMP®, FMC Lithium Corp.) having polymer coating of 20 to 200 nm and d50 of 20 μm is added to this suspension and dispersed for 3 minutes at 1000 rpm in a Thinky mixer. The printable lithium is then filtered through 180 μm opening stainless steel mesh. The printable lithium composition is then doctor blade coated on to a copper current collector at a wet thickness of 2 mil (˜50 μm) and a dry thickness of about 25 μm before lamination.

Example 3—Printed Foil with Carbon Nanotubes

1.5 g of 1.27M molecular weight of polyisobutylene (PIB) is dissolved in Toluene by stirring at 21° C. for 12 hours. 30 g of stabilized lithium metal powder (SLMP®, FMC Lithium Corp.) having polymer coating of 20 to 200 nm and d50 of 20 μm is added to this suspension and dispersed for 3 minutes at 1000 rpm in a Thinky mixer. The printable lithium suspension is then filtered through 180 μm opening stainless steel mesh. The printable lithium composition is then doctor blade coated on to a copper current collector at a wet thickness of 2 mil (˜50 μm) and a dry thickness of about 25 μm before lamination.

Example 4—Printed Foil with Carbon Black

1.5 g of 1.27M molecular weight of PIB is dissolved in 85 g Toluene by stirring at 21° C. for 12 hours. 1.5 g of carbon black was then added to the solution and continuous stirring for ˜1 h to form a homogeneous suspension. 30 g of stabilized lithium metal powder (SLMP®, FMC Lithium Corp.) having polymer coating of 20 to 200 nm and d50 of 20 μm is added to this suspension and dispersed for 3 minutes at 1000 rpm in a Thinky mixer. The printable lithium suspension is then filtered through 180 μm opening stainless steel mesh. The printable lithium composition is then doctor blade coated on to a copper current collector at a wet thickness of 2 mil (˜50 μm) and a dry thickness of about 25 μm before lamination.

Shelf Life Stability

Printable lithium components must be selected to ensure chemical stability for long shelf life at room temperature and stability at elevated temperature for shorter durations such as during transport or during the drying process. The printable lithium composition stability was tested using calorimetry. 1.5 g SLMP was added to a 10 ml volume Hastelloy ARC bomb sample container. 2.4 g of 4% styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) binder solution was added to the container. The container was fitted with a 24-ohm resistance heater and a thermocouple to monitor and control sample temperature. The bomb sample set-up was loaded into a 350 ml containment vessel along with insulation. An Advance Reactive Screening Systems Tool calorimeter by Fauske Industries was used to assess the compatibility of the printable lithium solutions during a constant rate temperature ramp to 190° C. The temperature ramp rate was 2° C./min and the sample temperature was held at 190° C. for 60 minutes. The test was conducted under 200 psi Argon pressure to prevent boiling of the solvent. FIG. 1 shows the temperature and pressure profiles for the reactivity testing of a SLMP/styrene butadiene/toluene printable lithium composition.

Printing Performance

The quality of the printable lithium composition with regard to printability is measured by several factors, for example, consistency of flow which directly impact one's ability to control lithium loading on a substrate or an electrode surface. An effective means of measuring flow is Flow Conductance which is an expression of the loading per square centimeter in relation to the factors which control the loading—the pressure during extrusion and the speed of the printer head. It can most simply be thought of as the inverse of flow resistance.

The expression is used to allow comparisons between prints of varying pressures and speeds, and changes in Flow Conductance can alert one to non-linear relationships of flow with pressure. These are important for scaling the loading for a printable lithium up or down depending on the need of the anode or cathode. An ideal printable lithium composition would behave in a linear fashion to changes in extrusion pressure.

To test printability, a printable lithium composition is filtered through 180 μm opening stainless steel mesh and loaded into a Nordson EFD 10 ml syringe. The syringe is loaded into a Nordson EFD HP4× syringe dispenser and attached to a slot die print head. The slot die print head is equipped with a 100 μm-300 μm thick shim with channel openings designed to deliver the desired printable lithium composition loading. The slot die head is mounted on a Loctite 300 Series robot. The print head speed is set to 200 mm/s and the printing pressure is between 20 and 200 psi argon, depending on shim and channel design. The print length is 14 cm. In an example printing trial experiment, the printable lithium composition was printed 30 times from a single syringe at dispenser settings ranging from 80 psi to 200 psi. For this print trial experiment, the flow conductance average was

$0.14\; \frac{mg}{s*{cm}^{2}}*\frac{{lb}\; f}{{in}^{2}}$

with standard deviation of 0.02. Although this printable composition does not behave in a perfectly linear fashion, the composition flow response to changes in dispenser pressure is predictable to allow one skilled in the art to fine tune lithium loading to the desired level. Thus, at fixed dispenser pressure conditions the loading of lithium can be controlled very consistently. For example, for a print of

$0.275\; \frac{mAh}{{cm}^{2}}$

lithium metal, the CV is about 5%.

Electrochemical Testing

The cycling performance of printable lithium composition is evaluated in Li[Ni0.8Mn0.1Co0.1]O2 (NMC811)/Li pouch type cells. The positive electrodes were purchased from Li-Fun Technology (Hunan Province, PRC, 412000) which was composed of 96.4% NMC811, 1.6% carbon black conductive diluent and 2% polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder. The loading is 15 mg/cm2. Before assembling, the cathode was dried at 120° C. under vacuum for 12 hours to remove residual water. Anode were made by printing the printable lithium suspension onto the Cu current collector. The printed lithium electrode is dried at 110° C. for 2 min followed by lamination at a roller gap approximately 75% of the thickness of the electrode. A 7 cm×7 cm electrode is punched from the printable lithium treated anode sheet. Single layer pouch cells are assembled and 3M LiFSI/FEC:EMC (1:4) is used as the electrolyte. The cells are pre-conditioned for 12 hours at 30° C. and then the formation cycle is conducted at 30° C. The formation protocol is 0.1C constant current constant voltage (CCCV) charge to 4.3V, constant voltage to 0.01C, 0.1C discharge to 2.8V and then repeated for 3 times. In the described test, 89% first cycle CE was demonstrated. After formation, Cells were cycled with 0.2C charge and 1C discharge at 30° C. between 3V and 4.3V. Electrodes preparation for the electrochemical characterization was performed in a dry room (RH<1% at 21° C.).

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements were conducted on the cells after formation and after cycling tests. Cells were charged or discharged to 3.80 V before they were moved to 25° C. Alternating current (AC) impedance spectra were collected with ten points per decade from 100 kHz to 10 mHz with a signal amplitude of 10 mV, using a Gamry potentiostat.

Li metal plating/stripping test were conducted in Li|Li symmetric pouch cells using Li metal as the working and counter electrodes. The tests were conducted between −0.5V and 0.5V at 25° C. During each cycle, 0.5 mA/cm² of Li metal was deposited on the counter electrode substrate and then stripped until the potential reached 0.5V vs Li/Li.

Pouch cells were disassembled in a dry room to harvest the Li metal anode electrode. These electrodes were first rinsed with DME solvent three times to remove residual electrolytes and then dried in the vacuum chamber for 12 h at room temperature. SEM images of the Li electrodes for both the surface and the cross-sections were obtained with a JOEL SEM at an accelerating voltage of 10 kV. A cross-section of Li metal was prepared by vertically cutting the Li samples with a razor blade.

FIG. 2A depicts a 10 cm×10 cm foil formed from the printable lithium composition. A microscopic image at 200× magnification comparing the morphology of a foil with and without the lamination is shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, respectively.

FIG. 3 is an image of a printed lithium foil having a laminated thickness of about 20 microns obtained via scanning electron microscopy and spectra obtained via energy-dispersive X-ray microscopy.

FIG. 4 shows the cyclability comparison between printable lithium foil (20 microns) with commercial foil (50 microns) as anode materials in NMC811/Li pouch cells. Cycling was conducted at 0.2C charge and 1C discharge at 30° C. between 3V and 4.3V. FIG. 4 shows that the 20 micron printable lithium foil has a similar cycle performance compared with a 50 micron commercial foil.

FIG. 5 shows the Nyquist plot comparing alternating current (AC) impedance spectra of NMC811/Li pouch cells with printable lithium foil (20 microns) and commercial foil (50 microns) after 100 cycles. FIG. 5 shows cells with printable lithium foil (20 microns) has much smaller impedance after 100 cycles compared with cells with commercial foil (50 microns).

FIGS. 6A-D is a comparison of the two substrates after 100 cycles of lithium metal anodes. FIGS. 6A and 6B shows that the commercial foil undergoes significant degradation after 100 cycles, while the printed foil exhibits less degradation as shown in FIGS. 6C and 6D.

FIG. 7 is a microscopic image at 200× magnification showing the differences in thickness between a substrate laminated with a commercial lithium foil versus a printable lithium foil, wherein the commercial foil is substantially thicker than the printable lithium foil. Table 1 provides a comparison of thicknesses before and after 100 cycles for the commercial and printable lithium foils. Unlike the commercial lithium foil, there is less risk of dendrite formation on the printable lithium foil and less mechanical degradation after 100 cycles as demonstrated by the increased thickness of the commercial foil in comparison to the printed foil.

TABLE 1 Laminated Laminated Thickness Thickness % thickness before cycling after 100 cycles increase after (microns) (microns) 100 cycles Commercial Lithium Foil 50 87 74% Printable Lithium Foil 20 29 45%

FIG. 7 is a performance comparison between a printed lithium foil with carbon nanotubes included as a rheology modifier versus a printed lithium foil without carbon nanotubes added. Adding carbon nanotubes to the printable lithium composition increases the capacity retention of the printed lithium foil compared to a printed lithium foil without carbon nanotubes.

FIG. 8 provides a comparison of cycling performance between a substrate coated with a commercial lithium foil having a laminated thickness of 50 microns versus a substrate coated with a printable lithium composition with a laminated thickness of 20 microns. The pouch cell with the commercial lithium foil ceased functioning after 14 cycles, while the pouch cell with the printable lithium foil continued to last beyond 70 cycles. Despite the reduced thickness of the starting foil before cycling, the printable lithium foil displayed increased cycling performance in comparison to the commercial lithium foil.

Although the present approach has been illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present approach. 

That which is claimed is:
 1. A substrate coated with a printable lithium composition, the printable lithium composition comprising: a) lithium metal powder; b) a polymer binder, wherein the polymer binder is compatible with the lithium metal powder; and c) a rheology modifier compatible with the lithium metal powder and the polymer binder, wherein the rheology modifier is dispersible within the composition and provides a three-dimensional structure for preventing degradation and increasing the durability of the substrate when coated with the printable lithium composition.
 2. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the substrate is an energy storage device substrate.
 3. The substrate of claim 2, wherein the energy storage device substrate is selected from the group consisting of a current collector, an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte and a separator.
 4. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the printable lithium composition is in the form of a foil or a film.
 5. The substrate of claim 4, wherein the foil has a laminated thickness between about 1 micron to about 50 microns.
 6. The substrate of claim 5, wherein the thickness of the foil is between about 10 microns to about 30 microns.
 7. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the rheology modifier is carbon nanotubes.
 8. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the polymer binder has a molecular weight of 1,000 to 8,000,000 and is selected from the group consisting of unsaturated elastomers, saturated elastomers, thermoplastics, polyacrylic acid, polyvinylidene chloride, and polyvinyl acetate.
 9. The substrate of claim 8, wherein the unsaturated elastomer is selected from the group consisting of butadiene rubber, isobutylene, and styrene butadiene rubber.
 10. The substrate of claim 8, wherein the saturated elastomer is selected from the group consisting of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber and ethylene-vinyl acetate.
 11. The substrate of claim 8, wherein the thermoplastic is selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, polyethylene and polymers of ethylene oxide.
 12. The substrate of claim 11, wherein the polymers of ethylene oxide is selected from the group consisting of poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(ethylene oxide).
 13. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the printable lithium composition further includes one or more additional rheology modifiers.
 14. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the printable lithium composition comprises between about 50% to about 98% by weight of the lithium metal powder and between about 2% to about 50% by weight of the polymer binder and the rheology modifier.
 15. The substrate of claim 14, wherein the printable lithium composition comprises between about 70% to about 85% by weight of the lithium metal powder and between about 15% to about 30% by weight of the polymer binder and the rheology modifier.
 16. The substrate of claim 1 further including one or more electrode active materials for forming an electrode.
 17. A battery comprising a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, wherein the cathode, the electrolyte, the anode, or a combination thereof each may include a substrate coated with a printable lithium composition according to claim
 1. 18. The battery of claim 17, wherein the electrolyte has a concentration of about or above 1 M.
 19. The battery of claim 18, wherein the concentration of the electrolyte is between about 3 M and about 5 M.
 20. The battery of claim 17, wherein the electrolyte is selected from lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl) imide or lithium trifluoromethanesulfonimide.
 21. The battery of claim 17 further including a solid electrolyte component adapted to be combined with the printable lithium composition to form a solid electrolyte film.
 22. A substrate coated with a printable lithium composition, the printable lithium composition comprising: a) between about 5% to about 50% by weight of lithium metal powder; b) between about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of a polymer binder, wherein the polymer binder is compatible with the lithium metal powder; c) between about 0.1% to about 30% of a rheology modifier compatible with the lithium metal powder and the polymer binder, wherein the rheology modifier is dispersible within the composition and provides a three-dimensional structure for preventing degradation and increasing the durability of the substrate when coated with the printable lithium composition; and d) between about 50% to about 95% by weight of a solvent.
 23. The substrate of claim 22, wherein the printable lithium composition comprises between about 15% to 25% by weight of the lithium metal powder, between about 0.3% to about 0.6% by weight of the polymer binder, between about 0.5% to about 0.9% by weight of the rheology modifier, and between about 75% to about 85% by weight of the solvent.
 24. The substrate of claim 22, wherein the solvent may be selected from the group comprising acyclic hydrocarbons, cyclic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, symmetrical ethers, unsymmetrical ethers, cyclic ethers, alkanes, sulfones, mineral oil, and mixtures, blends or cosolvents thereof.
 25. A foil or film formed from a printable lithium composition, the printable lithium composition comprising: a) lithium metal powder; b) carbon nanotubes to provide a three-dimensional support structure for preventing degradation and increasing the durability of a lithium substrate; and c) a polymer binder, wherein the polymer binder is compatible with the lithium metal powder.
 26. The foil or film of claim 25, wherein the foil has a laminated thickness between about 1 micron to about 50 microns.
 27. The foil or film of claim 26, wherein the laminated thickness of the foil is between about 10 microns and about 20 microns.
 28. The foil or film of claim 25 further including one or more additional rheology modifiers.
 29. A battery comprising a foil or film formed from a printable lithium composition according to claim
 25. 